Are the THINC-UOW MBAs the same as those offered on campus?
Yes, the standards are equivalent, all are awards of the University of Wales. When you complete your MBA your diploma and university transcript will say “Master of Business Administration,” just like students who earn the MBA on a University of Wales campus. The name THINC will appear on the certificate, just like the name of the UW campus appears on the certificate
Who are the faculty teaching on the online programmes?
Online courses are developed and taught by the qualified THINC faculty. All of the faculty are approved by the University of Wales before teaching on the programme. Every faculty member holds at least a Master's MBA or above in a field related to the subject he/she teaches .Most faculty also have significant teaching and industry experience
Are web based courses the same courses as those normally offered on campus(face to face teaching)?
Yes and no. Yes, online courses are equivalent in breadth and depth of content, workload, and quality of learning as traditional classroom courses. No, they are not the same since the teaching and learning activities in web courses may be somewhat different than the teaching and learning activities in traditional on-campus courses.
Will I need to travel to the UK to complete my degree?
No. Students will not be required to leave their home countries. They can complete their degrees staying at home.
Is the University of Wales accredited?
The University of Wales is one of four federal Universities in the UK established by Royal Charter in 1893. Annually, it awards almost 15,000 initial degrees and more than 4,000 higher degrees, making it the second largest degree awarding body in the United Kingdom.
Together, the member institutions of the University of Wales and its validated schemes of study result in a thriving student population of nearly 90,000 from all over the world
How is the THINC-UOW Online programme different to other Online degrees?
Unlike most other online degree programmes, where most interaction between teachers and students happen asynchronously, the THINC delivery system allows for regular contact in synchronous mode between the student and teacher. This happens during the weekly lecture and tutorial session which is scheduled once every week and conducted via a significant video and audio conferencing system. These sessions are conducted at times convenient to the students normally around 4 or 5 GMT. Students who cannot attend these sessions can retrieve these lectures as they will be recorded. In addition to this, students can talk to the faculty members during their scheduled office hours.
Are the courses self-paced?
No, the online courses are not self-paced. Each course begins on a fixed day at the start of a semester and ends on the last day of a semester. Most modules are spread over 15 weeks with 13 weeks of teaching, an exam study week and a final exams week. Students will have a course schedule with assignments due throughout the term on specified dates.
However, students do have flexibility each week in deciding when they access the online material; in addition there are virtual class sessions that meet at set times online.
What is it like to take an online class?
In a typical online course, the professor will have an online syllabus that outlines the assignments and course activities on a weekly schedule. Most courses will combine assigned readings from textbooks and other materials, online exercises, problems, or activities put together by the professor, interactive discussions on cases, situations, or questions posed by the professor, and assigned group or individual projects or papers.
All internet courses will be delivered using Blackboard, an integrated course management system. Homework assignments are posted on the Assignment Manager inside the Blackboard classroom. Written assignments are submitted online through the Blackboard classroom; when they are due is at the discretion of the professor. Additional learning materials are available in the course resource area, such as PowerPoint slides, lecture notes, case examples, demonstrations, practice exams, and relevant articles or papers. Students have access to these resources throughout the term and can download and print them as needed.
In a normal week, students will be expected to complete the assigned readings from the text book and other resources, go over the lecture notes/ audio lectures provided, participate in the asynchronous discussion boards, attend the virtual lecture and tutorial session. In certain weeks assignments may be due. These have to be turned in on time to avoid penalty.
How can there be discussions in an online environment?
Many students are initially skeptical about whether there can be meaningful online discussions of cases and issues. In fact, most evidence shows that there is more, not less, discussion in online courses than in traditional classroom courses. The nature of that discussion may feel different, but it can be equally thoughtful and stimulating. Discussions online rely on asynchronous “threaded discussions,” where students post comments or questions in response to the professor and other students. Students can read and post comments any time during the day. The professor will monitor class discussions and interact as discussions progress. Discussions may also be held using synchronous “chat rooms.” Chat rooms require students to be online at the same time; however, a faculty might schedule several times for chat so that all students can participate. Chat rooms can also be used by teams of students for working on group projects.
In a traditional classroom, discussion on a particular topic may be constrained to a brief period of time. Since only one student can speak at a time (in theory), time constraints may prevent some students from participating. Online class discussions, however, can be spread over several days. Some advantages of this are that (a) more students can participate and (b) students have more time to think carefully about others' comments and their own responses.
How can I ask the faculty questions?
Students can use email to communicate directly with the faculty, who will usually respond within a day or so. Students can also communicate with one another using their own email addresses, or through private messages sent through Blackboard.
How is learning assessed in an online class?
The modules will be assessed based on Assignments (30%) and Examination (70%). Advanced Project in BSc Computing Level 3 will be assessed 100% on the submitted work. The dissertation modules on the Masters degrees will also be assessed completely on the basis of the submitted work. Each course will have three assignments to be followed by a final exam.
All THINC-UOW students must possess a consolidated pass mark of 40% in order to achieve a pass in the respective module.
Exams are conducted 3 times a year, in the months of April, September and December. Each examination will be of 2 or 3 hours duration. The exams will be conducted at University of Wales approved institutions such as British Councils or at the support colleges. Students will be required to complete a dissertation to complete Master's degree programs, and are normally expected to take around 6 months to complete their dissertation.
A Board of Examiners decides the final marks. Students who fail a module may be permitted to resubmit the Coursework or to re-sit the module's Written Examinations whilst taking another module. This shall be done at the full discretion of the Academic Members of the Board of Examiners. A student may only resubmit the Coursework and/or re-sit a Written Examination once.
Should a student fail to pass a specific module's Coursework and/or Written Examination after one re-sit attempt, he/she will be permitted to continue with the other modules in the program. In the case of Master's degrees, modules can only be re-taken once. The student thereafter has to exit the program.
How many attempts for BScs –only one?
Yes
Are online classes like “correspondence” courses?
No. When students take correspondence courses there is generally no interaction with fellow classmates and little with their instructor. In an online course, the opportunity to interact with the instructor and other class members is frequent, and in some cases, immediate. Students can interact by using chat rooms, threaded discussions on class bulletin boards, or by direct emails or phone calls. Students in the online programme also have access to faculty via email, typically answered within 24 hours. There is a dynamic nature to the online environment that cannot be duplicated in a correspondence course. Correspondence courses are usually open-ended in terms of time completion; online courses are not, and must be completed within the confines of a semester.
How much time will an online class take?
The time needed to successfully complete an internet course is equivalent to that of an on-campus course. Students in distance courses can choose to allocate their time however they wish within the confines of starting and ending dates for class activities and discussions, and due dates for assignments and exams. The time of day and how long you work at one time is up to you.
The common pattern for many internet classes is that during a given week, students will log into their courses frequently. Most of these sessions will be of short duration, with only a couple sessions of longer duration.
What is best for me, an online degree or an on-campus degree?
You should assess your situation with respect to your work schedule, the difficulty of commuting to campus, how often you have to travel for work, and what your time demands are in your personal life and most importantly availability of the degree of your choice from a respectable university like UOW in your vicinity. You may also need to consider the likelihood of a change in your job location during the next few years.
You should also carefully consider your personal preferences and characteristics. How important is it to you to have face-to-face interaction with your professors and fellow students? How successful have you been at managing your time under pressure? Are you good at making and sticking to personal schedules and meeting personal deadlines? Online learning gives you a lot of freedom to choose when you work, but that freedom demands a high level of discipline to ensure that you actually do the work and don't fall behind.
What does it take to be an online degree student?
The flexibility and freedom of online courses requires you to have significant motivation and self-discipline in order to set and keep up with your own study schedule. You will not have onsite classes to attend, but you can expect each online course to require as much (or more) time and effort than a campus course. THINC online classes require regular participation in virtual classroom sessions at fixed times through the week. Online students report that working at home can be difficult because of all its distractions. To succeed, you will need to develop and follow a regular regimen, without anyone monitoring you closely.
Do you offer any concentrations within the web MBA?
Yes, concentrations are possible leading to named awards in Marketing, Finance or Human Resources Management within both the MBA and the MSc Business Administration degrees.
How many online courses will I need to take to graduate?
A standard THINC-UOW Bachelor degree requires students to take 18 modules (6 at each level) while the Master's degrees require 8 (M Sc in Computer Information Systems) to 10 (MBA, MSc-Business Administration) plus a dissertation module.
The number of modules required may reduce if you apply for and receive APL(Accreditation of Prior Learning) credit for coursework completed elsewhere.
How many online courses would I take each term?
Students would typically take two or three courses each term depending on their schedule.
What happens if I have to stop-out for a term, due to personal or work circumstances?
Students will remain active and will not have to reapply to the online degree, as long as they do not go more than one year without taking courses. If you have to skip a semester or so, you will be able to reenter and pick up from where you left. A student advisor can help you work out a specific plan for reentering and completing your degree.
What semesters will specific courses be taught?
Please see the THINC course calendar, which can be viewed or downloaded from the THINC website. This guide states which terms we plan to offer each course/ module.
How many students will be allowed to enroll in an online class?
Because of the highly interactive nature of most online classes, we expect to limit enrollments to no more than 25 to 30.
How do I get information about online textbooks, e-packs, I.D.s, and passwords?
Check the links under Student Information on the THINC website.
How do I register for an online module/course?
THINC-UOW students may register by web, telephone, or in-person. Students may register as early as three or four months before the start of each term. Information about registering and paying tuition will be given to admitted students prior to the start of each registration period.
Will students be able to access the university library?
Students have access to the University of Wales' electronic library via the internet, including a large database of research engines and full-text materials. Students will receive an ID number that will allow access to these materials. Students who can come to a Support College campus will have full access to all library materials and facilities.
How knowledgeable must I be with computers to complete online courses?
You should feel comfortable with the internet, email, downloading and uploading files, bulletin boards and chat rooms. You must have competence with the Office 2000 software suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. These technologies are in everyday use in the modern business environment and it is anticipated that the student has had hands-on experience with these skills. Please see the Technology and Skills web page for more detail. Student orientation a week before the start of the semester, will further put you at ease with the system.
What computer hardware and software do I need?
Please see the information on the Required Technology & Skills webpage.
Where can I take the final exams?
A list of approved proctor sites will be made available to the students. Some of the proctor sites where exams can be taken include THINC support colleges and the British Council offices in approved locations.
Can I defer the final exams?
Yes, you can defer the exam upto two semesters. If you are unable to sit the exam within this period, you will be asked to exit the programme and apply again.
What kind of education and work background do I need to be admitted?
The normal entry requirement for a Master's programme is an honours degree, a postgraduate diploma or a professional qualification recognized by UOW as being equivalent to an honours degree. For an MBA program the applicant would require an additional 2 years work experience on top of a degree. Fresh Graduates without any work experience can seek admission to the MSc Business Administration programme.
The standard entry requirement for MSc in Computer Information Systems is a minimum of a UOW recognized undergraduate degree which includes significant computing component. Where the applicant does not have any qualifying computing qualification, he would be required to complete a few bridging modules before starting with the programme.
Applicants to the THINC-UOW program who have studied in schools/colleges where the medium of instruction was not English, will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English Language by taking and achieving acceptable scores on the IELTS or TOEFL
The Student Handbook will give more details on the entry requirements for various programmes.
How do I apply to any THINC –UOW degree program?
You can download an graduate application, complete and sign it, and send it to us with a $10 application fee. As part of your application, you will need to include information detailing your employment and educational history, career goals, and awards received. In order to complete your application file, we will also need to receive (a) official transcripts from each college and university you have attended, (b) at least one recommendation, and c) proof of TOEFL/IELTS test scores if your native language is not English or if you have not completed your previous education in English.
What help is available to me during my study and how can I avail of it?
Each student will be assigned an Advisor, who will invariably be a faculty member teaching during the semester. The Advisor will be the first point of contact for the student for issues relating to a module or the programme as a whole. Students can also avail pastoral and non academic counseling counsel from a counselor who is available on chat twice a week. The counselor can also be approached via email on other days. Further, there is a helpdesk where the students can log their complaints or seek assistance.
Issues relating to exams, dropping a course, transcripts, time tables etc may be addressed to registrar@THINCeducation.com
Technical questions can be emailed to helpdesk@THINCeducation.com
Enquiries requesting pastoral counselling support can be emailed to counsellor@THINCeducation.com
Enquiries relating to fees and other financial issues can be emailed to admin@THINCeduation.com
How can I get started?
Once you have decided on your programme of study, students may download the application form from www.THINCeducation.com .
Completed application forms must be accompanied by the following documents:
- Attested copies of the qualifying degree.
- At least one letter of reference
- 3 passport size photos
- Passport copy, copies of work permit/labour card for identification
Students applying for MBA and other Masters degrees are also required to fill out the Matriculation form which can be downloaded from the website.
The forms along with the supporting documents may be sent to:
CMIT Education Consultants
P.O.Box 39292
Dubai , UAE
Upon acceptance of admission you will be asked to pay the course fees by Demand Draft or Cheque. Once the financial commitments are met, you will be sent a learning pack comprising text books, CDs etc. together with your Username and Password can register online for the courses for the first semester. You will be asked to complete the registration process online using the Username and Password.
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PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
